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Organic Pesticide is NOT an Oxymoron

Organic Pesticide is NOT an Oxymoron. Gary Fish Maine Board of Pesticides Control 28 State House Station Augusta ME 04333-0028 (207)287-2731 gary.fish@maine.gov. ?. Do organic growers use pesticides?. Over 25% of OMRI listed products are pest management products*

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Organic Pesticide is NOT an Oxymoron

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  1. Organic Pesticide is NOT an Oxymoron • Gary FishMaine Board of Pesticides Control28 State House StationAugusta ME 04333-0028(207)287-2731gary.fish@maine.gov

  2. ? Do organic growers use pesticides? • Over 25% of OMRI listed products are pest management products* • 312 are registered by EPA as pesticides* • 188 are registered as pesticides in Maine* • 139 of the pesticide products are not registered by EPA and should not be used to control pests in the US* *2009 Data gathered by Lebelle Hicks and Gary Fish Maine BPC

  3. Organic produce may contain organic pesticide residues • According to the 2008 USDA Pesticide Data Program Report: • 43% of organic spinach samples were positive for spinosad(13 of 30 samples positive) • According to the 2010 USDA Pesticide Data Program Report: • 52% of organic baby food pear samples were positive for spinosad(16 of 31 samples) • Spinosad is derived from a naturally occurring soil bacteria No endorsement intended or implied

  4. Which are pesticides? • Organocide • Espoma Organic • BurnOut II No endorsement intended or implied

  5. What is a pesticide? • Any substance or mixture of substances intended for: • preventing, • destroying, • repelling, or • mitigatingany pest • Or, any plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant. • Does not include fertilizers or nutrients No endorsement intended or implied

  6. These are pesticides? • Disinfectants & bleaches • Herbicides • Rat & mouse baits • Fungicides No endorsement intended or implied

  7. These are pesticides? • Insecticides • Botanicals • Biological controls • Deer and rabbit repellents No endorsement intended or implied

  8. Are botanical pesticides risky? • Pyrethrin has a changing cancer rating – • EPA now ranks it as a “not likely to be a human carcinogen” unless exposure is at doses that cause increased cell division in the liver • It has also been shown to be a thyroid hormone disruptor • Residues are detected in organic and conventional foods at low levels No endorsement intended or implied

  9. Are botanical pesticides risky? • Old standby botanical insecticide • In 2006 the manufacturers/distributors voluntarily canceled the registration • Why? In 2004 EPA required an inhalation neuro-toxicity study. • Induces Parkinson’s Disease-like symptoms • Induces liver cells to self-destruct • Dust products are of particular concern for inhalation exposure. • Because of fetal sensitivity EPA required a 10X reduction in exposure potential No endorsement intended or implied

  10. Are “organic” fungicides risky? • Copper is an element, so it does not degrade in the soil • Since 2006 the EU has severely restricted use of copper fungicides (5.4 lbs/Ac/Yr) and Holland and Denmark have banned them • On average organic crops contain 10% more copper than conventional crops No endorsement intended or implied

  11. Are “organic” fungicides risky? • Soil accumulation is especially pronounced in perennial crops

  12. Recent research shows the environmental hazards of copper fungicides • Copper concentrations are higher in many agricultural soils • In the lab copper significantly harms soil organisms (especially earthworms) • Field results for soils over 50 ppm of copper have clear effects on earthworms • 20 – 36% of copper fungicides can run off from plastic mulch and harm aquatic life

  13. Essential oil pesticides • Some pesticides have been deregulated by EPA • FIFRA 25(b) Exempt • Exempt from Federal registration • Exempt from toxicity testing • Some are OMRI listed No endorsement intended or implied • Ingredients in these products • Rosemary oil • Peppermint oil • Thyme oil • Clove oil • Wintergreen oil • Cinnamon oil

  14. What do we know about essential oil pesticide risks? • Not enough since they are exempt from toxicity tests • Rosemary oil – not well tested • Peppermint oil – • sensitization, • irritant, • lung damage, • not recommended for children, infants or during pregnancy or breast feeding • Clove oil – • allergic reactions, • not good for people with liver or kidney disorders, • increases bleeding risks, • interacts with drugs, • contains eugenol which when methylated becomes a potent carcinogen No endorsement intended or implied

  15. What are the risks? • Wintergreen oil – • highly toxic, • not recommended during pregnancy, • causes dermatitis, • inhalation hazard • Cinnamon oil – • powerful irritant and • even worse sensitizer No endorsement intended or implied

  16. Organic products are not harmful to bees, pollinators and other beneficial organisms • True • False

  17. Eric Mader – The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation Toxicity of Common Organic-Approved Pesticides to Pollinators

  18. All pesticides have risks!!! • Organic Safe • Synthetic  Highly toxic • Natural  Safe No endorsement intended or implied

  19. Even organic products are toxic! http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/2012/09/24/pesticides-food-fears/

  20. Even organic products are toxic!

  21. “All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right DOSE differentiates a poison from a remedy.”–Paracelsus (1493-1541)Even too much water can kill – over 1.5 liters/hour

  22. Endocrine effects • EPA is just beginning to do endocrine disrupter screening for pesticide active and inert ingredients • http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/oscpendo/index.htm • http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/oscpendo/pubs/final_list_frn_041509.pdf • Does the dose make the poison?? What about hormesis? • http://www.belleonline.com/index.htm

  23. So what is an organic gardener to do about pests? • Think first… Spray last! • Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) • Identify the pest specifically • www.gotpests.org • Only use pesticides (organic or not) as a last resort • Choose the least toxic and most specific pesticide available • Use all pesticides with great caution and respect

  24. Spare all sprays, even organic, to protect beneficial insects • Dragonflies • Spiders • Small parasitic wasps • Predatory mites • Syrphid flies • Ground beetles

  25. The key to proper use • Read and follow the label & MSDS • Do your homework • If you are a commercial grower • only use products approved for agricultural use

  26. www.thinkfirstspraylast.org

  27. www.gotpests.org

  28. www.yardscaping.org

  29. Resources • http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ • http://www.pesticideinfo.org/ • http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/regtools/25b_list.htm • http://www.omri.org • http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0 • http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16403682 • http://spot.colorado.edu/~carpenh/Magkos.pdf • http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/2012/09/24/pesticides-food-fears/

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